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For three years, commission members toured across British Columbia to listen to community testimonies concerning Indigenous land from groups including Indigenous community members, municipal governments, and federal Indian Agents.
The Commission visited Vancouver Island in 1913. Evidence was gathered from chiefs and Indigenous community members from Nanaimo to Saanich. In cases where there was no representation from Indigenous community leaders, the Indian Agent’s evidence was used to inform the Commission.
In May 1913, the Cowichan leader reported that there were “three or four hundred” Indigenous people that had traveled from all over the island, Kuper Island, Penelekutw, Chamanius and Nanaimo.
Commissioner queries to witnesses focused on the on issue of how land was being utilized for agriculture purposes and Indigenous peoples were able to use it to support their economy.
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Question Examples:
Is there much timber land on the Cowichan Reserve that would make good farm land if it was cleared?
How are you making out with your fishing, pretty well?
Is there any cultivated land on the reserve at all?
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Whereas the priority of Indigenous representatives was to ensure that their concerns were heard by colonial authorities. A common petition raised by these members was the right to fish and hunt during the ‘close[d]’ season. Commercial and sport fishing had depleated the fishing population, requiring laws to be in place. These laws impacted indigenous communities in which fishing was a primary economy. Another issue was the right to legally cut down timber on their land.
Below are excerpts recorded from the evidence hearings.
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Click here to read excerpts from the Evidence Hearings
A complete transcript of the Royal Commission Hearings is available here.
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